'End up like my son if ... ': Ex-Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel on Chaitanya's arrest; 'no case against him'
Bhupesh Baghel
intensified his attack on the
Adani Group
, alleging that
Enforcement Directorate
's arrest of his son, Chaitanya, was a deliberate move to silence those who speak out against the conglomerate.
"I got the permission to meet my son for 30 minutes. There is no case against him... This is an effort to suppress any voice raised against Adani. If anyone raises their voice against Adani Group, then they will also be treated like Bhupesh Baghel's son," Baghel said.
— PTI_News (@PTI_News)
The former CM had earlier alleged the Adani Group was flouting environmental and legal norms in its coal mining operations in Tamnar, Chhattisgarh. He claimed that despite a unanimous resolution passed by the state assembly, the company continued large-scale tree felling without adhering to the PESA Act or complying with the National Green Tribunal's directives.
'The adjournment motion moved by Congress in the Chhattisgarh assembly over tree felling being carried out by Adani Group in Tamnar was disallowed by Speaker Raman Singh. The opposition alleged that there has been no adherence to the PESA Act, no compliance with directives issued by the National Green Tribunal, and even the resolution unanimously passed by the state assembly has been disregarded. Not even a discussion was permitted,' he had said.
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Undo
Following his son's arrest, Baghel had claimed that the aforementioned issue was to be raised in the assembly on Friday. "ED has arrived. Today is the last day of the Assembly session. The issue of trees being cut in Tamnar for Adani was supposed to be raised today. 'Saheb' has sent the ED to the Bhilai residence," his office said in a post on X.
Moreover, ED informed a special court that Chaitanya laundered Rs 16.7 crore through shell companies and undervalued real estate transactions linked to a Rs 2,100 crore liquor scam.
Arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on July 18, his 38th birthday, Chaitanya was remanded to five days of ED custody by a Raipur court.
In response, the Congress has announced a statewide 'Aarthik Nakabandi' (economic blockade) on July 22, planning road blockades, protests, and disruption of mineral transport to coincide with the end of his custody and his next court appearance.
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